OXFORD, Miss. – Victorious in seven of its past eight games, the fourth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team is geared up for its final true road game of the season, as it travels to the Magnolia State to face Ole Miss Wednesday night at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion. Tipoff is slated for 9 p.m. ET.

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GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO

Opponent: Ole Miss Rebels
Tipoff: Wednesday, March 5 | 9 p.m. ET
Venue: The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss
Watch Online: ESPN2
Online: Listen Live | Live Stats

TENNESSEE

Roster Schedule Game Notes

OLE MISS

Roster Schedule Game Notes

THE LATEST FROM THE VOLS

Vols Move to Fourth in National Polls Zeigler Named a Bob Cousy Award Finalist #5 Vols Come Back to Upend #6 Alabama, 79-76, on Mashack’s Buzzer-Beater #5 Vols Post 65-59 Road Victory at LSU Lanier Wins Third SEC Player of the Week Award
Fans can catch Wednesday’s game between the Volunteers (24-5, 11-5 SEC) and Rebels (20-9, 9-7 SEC) on ESPN2. Rece Davis (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call. Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Steve Hamer describing the action.

In its most recent action, Tennessee faced a nine-point deficit with under 10 minutes left and a four-point deficit in the final 31 seconds, but rallied to defeat sixth-ranked Alabama, 79-76, Saturday evening on a 35-footer at the horn by senior guard Jahmai Mashack.

UT outscored the Crimson Tide by 13 in the last 10 minutes to win the first AP top-six matchup ever between the two sides.

THE MATCHUP
• Tennessee is 9-1 in its last 10 games against Ole Miss, dating to 2/3/18. The Volunteers went 1-6 in the prior seven matchups before that, from 3/9/12 to 1/17/17.
• This is the first matchup in 424 days between the two sides, who last met in the 2023-24 season opener, when the Volunteers won by 26, 90-64, on 1/6/24 to end the Rebels’ undefeated (13-0) start.
• The last three series meetings in Oxford were each decided by four points or fewer, with an average margin of just 2.7 ppg.
• Rick Barnes and Chris Beard are both former head coaches at Texas. Barnes went 402-180 (.691) across 17 seasons and Beard was 29-13 (.690) over two campaigns.
• Justin Gainey and Al Pinkins were teammates at NC State in 1996-97 under first-year head coach Herb Sendek, who was Rick Barnes‘ assistant at Providence in 1988-89.
• Following a 20-12 (7-11) campaign in 2023-24, Ole Miss placed ninth in this year’s SEC preseason poll.
• Senior guard Sean Pedulla paces the Rebels with 15.2 ppg, 3.8 apg and 1.9 spg.

NEWS & NOTES
• Rick Barnes is 24-7 against the SEC’s Mississippi teams, including 20-7 at UT and 9-2 since 2021-22.
• Tennessee and Ole Miss are two of the only three DI schools with four 1,400-point scorers. UT beat the other, Alabama, in its last game.
• The Vols have 11-plus SEC wins for the fourth straight season, their third such instance ever. They had a four-year streak from 1978-79 to 1982-83 and a seven-year tally from 1970-71 to 1976-77.
• Tennessee is seeking its ninth 25- win season, including its sixth in the Rick Barnes era (all in the past eight years) and fourth in a row. It would be UT’s third time reaching that mark in the regular season alone (27-4 in 2018-19 under Barnes and 28-3 in 2007-08).
• The Vols are 7-1 since Feb. 1. They have trailed by nine-plus in five of their past seven games, but come back to win four of them, including doing so in three of their last four outings.
• Tennessee (10-5), Auburn (16-2), Alabama (10-6) and Michigan State (10-3) are the only schools with double-digit Quad 1 victories.
• With 830 victories, Rick Barnes is tied with John Calipari and Jim Phelan for No. 10 all-time (min. 10 years at DI level). His 111 SEC wins also put him one shy of Hank Crisp for No. 18 in league history.
• Chaz Lanier one made 3-pointer away from passing Allan Houston (99 in 1990-91) for fifth on the program’s single-season list. He would be the third Volunteer with 100 in a year, joining Chris Lofton (three times) and Santiago Vescovi (102 in 2021-22).
• Zakai Zeigler has 15-plus points in 10 of the last 13 contests, including each of the past seven. He is 25- of-65 (38.5%) from deep in those 13 games after going 25-of-87 (28.7%) in his first 13 outings.
• Igor Miličić Jr., is 17 points away from reaching 1,000 in his career.
• Tennessee’s 195 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (236), Houston (233), Duke (211), Kansas (210), Purdue (202), Saint Mary’s (198), Auburn (197) and San Diego State (197) own more. Drake (194) and Liberty (194) tie to round out the top 10.

RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES
• TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 28 AP top-25 wins lead the nation. Only Connecticut (25) and Kansas (25) are within three, while the closest SEC school is four back (Alabama with 24).
• TOP 20: Tennessee is first in DI with 24 AP top-20 triumphs over that span. Only Connecticut (23) and Kansas (22) are even within four, while the nearest SEC program is five behind (Alabama with 19).
• TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 21 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) is the lone school within four, while the closest SEC team (Alabama with 16) five shy of UT.
• TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 11 AP top-10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-fourth nationally, both alongside Kentucky (11). Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12) have more. The 10 wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24), #5 Florida (2/1/25), at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25) and #6 Alabama (3/1/25).
• TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only six other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four), Kentucky (four) and Purdue (four).

HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY
• Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak.
• The Volunteers are one of only four teams to reach the AP top six in each of the past five seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas.
• UT is one of just five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are also the only five schools to enter the AP top five in at least five different years in that stretch.
• The Vols are among only eight teams to reach the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25), joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
• Over that same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to claim an AP top-two position in at least three seasons, alongside Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue.
• UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season.
• Additionally, over the last three years (2022-25), the Vols are one of just six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.

PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME
• Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 23-8 (.742) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 18-2 (.900) in its last 20 such games (since 1/30/21).
• The Volunteers are 18-7 (.720) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 14-2 (.875) in their last 16 such contests (since 1/30/21).
• Tennessee has a 15-5 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 13-2 (.867) record in its last 15 such affairs (since 1/30/21).
• Barnes has led UT to a 9-1 (.900) ledger at home versus AP top-10 teams, with eight straight wins (since 3/2/19). That includes perfect marks against AP top-six foes (8-0) and versus SEC teams (7-0).
• UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59.
• The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams.
• Tennessee is 20-5 (.800) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 14-5 (.737) with both teams in the top 20, 9-2 (.818) with both in the top 15 and 5-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.

1.4K CLUB
• Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss—all are in the SEC—are the only schools with four 1,400-point scorers. Just eight others programs have even three.
• Jordan Gainey possesses 1,487 points in 129 contests, an average of 11.5 ppg over four years.
• Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,446 points in 133 outings, a 10.9 ppg ledger across five campaigns.
• Darlinstone Dubar has 1,442 points in 140 outings, good for 10.3 ppg across five seasons.
• Zakai Zeigler owns 1,435 points in 129 appearances, giving him an 11.1 ppg average in four seasons.

TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS
• Tennessee is 42-41 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 26-14 (.650) in its past 40 such games (since 1/22/22).
• The Volunteers are 36-33 (.522) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 22-10 (.688) in their last 32 such affairs (since 1/22/22).
• UT is 28-26 (.519) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 21-9 (.700) in its last 30 such games (since 12/22/21).
• The Vols own a 16-15 (.516) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 14-9 (.609) mark in their last 23 such contests (since 3/2/19) and an 11-6 (.647) tally in their last 17 (since 12/22/21).
• UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last eight such outings (since 3/2/19).

SHOOTING TO SUCCEED
• Over the last four seasons (2021-25), Tennessee is 45-8 (.849) when hitting double-digit 3-pointers in a game, including 27-3 (.900) at home.
• During Rick Barnes‘ first six seasons on Rocky Top, 2015-16 to 2020-21, Tennessee was a strong 20-12 (.625) in such games, including 12-3 (.800) at home, but the last four years have been even better.

A SUPERB SIGN
• Tennessee is 132-15 (.898) under Rick Barnes when holding its opponent to 39.0 percent or worse field- goal shooting, including 72-8 (.900) when its foe shoots 35.0 or below. The Volunteers are a perfect 26-0 (1.000) in Barnes’ tenure when holding their opponent to a field-goal clip of 30.0 or under.